Bethenny Frankel Earns $120 Million

Bethenny Frankel’s butt might be skinny, but her bank account certainly is not! In an article by the Hollywood Reporter we learn that everyone’s favorite housewife ,Jill Zarin – I mean, Mrs. Hoppy – is now worth $120 million dollars! Ummm… what?! That’s alotta margaritas and diet books! Seriously – that means that besides the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, Bethenny is the richest person to be on Bravo ever! Vicki Gunvalsun is probably working overnights RIGHT NOW upon this discovery!

So just how did Bethenny, a former natural-foods chef who just a few years ago was the poor, unmarried cast member of Real Housewives of New York City become a multi-millionairess? According to Bethenny: “Everything I create is a solution to a problem that women have,” referring to how she came up with the concept of Skinnygirl Margaritas and her new lingerie line for lazy women whose men like sexy underwear. Here’s the breakdown:

– Bethenny decided to join RHONY after appearing on The Apprentice: Martha Stewart and trying to make her business BethennyBakes a more successful venture: “I didn’t know where I was in my life,” Bethenny says of her pre-Housewives days. “I was still taking the subway to events because I couldn’t afford the $20 for a cab.” When Bravo came a’knockin she told them no for TWO MONTHS because: “”I was worried that it would ruin what I had going,” recalls Bethenny, who at the time had signed on as a Pepperidge Farm spokesperson and had appeared on NBC’s Today show for a cooking segment.” After finally deciding she could use the platform to advertise and promote her brand, she became RHONY’s resident career girl and the pioneer of a whole new genre of “Bravo-lebrities” creating brands and businesses because of their successes on Housewives shows: “When I went on the show, no one was going on for business, no one had done anything.” Gee thanks, Bethenny – because of you we are now forced to endure COUNTLESS – pun intended – bad pop songs, weaves, terribly written books and cookbooks, and now SHAPEWEAR!

– Bethenny was able to parlay her success as the most recognizable and well-liked housewife into an enormous empire of products and brand endorsements, starting with her cookbook, Naturally Thin, and expanding to Skinnygirl Margaritas and beyond! Bethenny recently sold the Skinnygirl Cocktail line to “the world’s fourth-largest spirits company, Fortune Brands’ Beam Global — which distributes the likes of Jim Beam bourbon and Sauza tequila — for a price tag insiders have placed at $120 million. It’s a feat never before seen in the spirits marketplace by a single celebrity.” People apparently really really love their low-cal margaritas!

– Bethenny also claims that despite sleeping in a bed with sheets made of freshly ironed 100 Dollar bills, she is still down to earth and cheap! Describing a sweater she is wearing to lunch with the reporter: “It’s Club Monaco,” she notes without prompting. “I love their tops. I don’t have a lot of tops, but everything I buy is on sale. I never pay full price.” She buzzes on for a few minutes about her controlled spending and how her husband of one year, Jason Hoppy, recently encouraged her to purchase an $800 Chanel handbag she was eyeing. “I couldn’t do it,” she says. “I didn’t need it.” Wait – does anyone else remember when even in Season 1 of RHoNY that girlie was carrying around a Hermes Birkin and wearing Louboutins? Are those often on the clearance rack?

Also, according to Bravo, Bethenny’s reign as the most beloved housewife almost never happened since she was almost left out of the cast of RHONY! Bravo was initially hesitant about casting someone who had already appeared on a reality show: ” ‘She was one of the last, if not the last, woman we cast on the show,” says Bravo Media president Frances Berwick. “We had a few reservations and were a little on the fence since we don’t take reality stars and put them on the network.’’

Bethenny also admits she wants a talk show! The THR states Bethenny “aspires to parlay her on-air talents into more of a “conversation” with her fans — a TV format that allows a dialogue beyond 140 Twitter characters.” As for Bethenny, she admits, “Yes, like a talk show.” According to a recent report, Bethenny is in fact in talks with Telepictures Productions (the company behind The Tyra Banks Show and Ellen) about the prospect of her own show though her rep would not confirm or deny the report. Oh, sweet Jesus. Obviously unlike Kris Jenner, Bethenny Frankel is NOT worried about over-exposure!

And despite the popularity of her spinoff show Bethenny Ever After — Bravo has expressed desire to keep her on air (“I’m hoping this partnership is a long one,” Berwick says), – Bethenny only anticipates another season or two of the show. “I like to leave a party when it’s in full swing,” she says. “I don’t want to be there at 3 in the morning with the scary guy in the bad sweater with no teeth. I like to leave when everyone still has their teeth.”

So that ladies, is how you parlay Saturday nights of binge drinking and talking crap about people into a multi-million dollar empire! When is The Apprentice: Bethenny Frankel coming to TV? I wonder if Jill Zarin is going to be sending Bethenny an invoice for a “finder’s fee” after introducing her to Bravo and discovery the true cost of Bethenny’s success?